A student with a learning disability must provide professional testing and evaluation results which reflect the individual's present level of functioning and present achievement level. The university generally requires that assessment documentation be within the last three years. The cost of obtaining the report shall be paid by the student.
The criteria necessary to establish a student’s eligibility for learning disability accommodations are:
Average or above average intelligence as measured by a standardized intelligence test which includes assessment of verbal and nonverbal abilities.
The presence of a cognitive achievement discrepancy or an intra-cognitive discrepancy indicated by a score on a standardized test of achievement which is 1.5 standard deviations or more below the student's intelligence quotient (IQ); or Documentation verifying the student has been identified as learning disabled through a valid, formal response-to-intervention procedure through a public school process; or documentation verifying the student meets DSM-IV criteria for learning disabilities.
Disorders in cognitive or sensory processing such as those related to memory, language, or attention; and
Absence of exclusionary factors contributing to low achievement such as visual or auditory disabilities, emotional or behavioral disabilities, lack of appropriate learning experiences, or deficiencies in intellectual ability.
Documentation verifying the learning disability must:
Be written by an appropriately authorized professional qualified to diagnose a learning disability including, but not limited to, a licensed physician (provided a formal evaluation has been conducted), learning disability specialist, or psychologist.
Include the testing procedures followed, the instruments used to assess the disability, the test score results, a written interpretation of the test results by the professional, and the rationale for recommending the accommodations. A doctor’s diagnosis without supporting assessment documentation is not sufficient for the purposes of determining eligibility.
Reflect the individual's present level of functioning in the achievement areas of math calculation, applied math, reading decoding, reading comprehension, reading rate, written expression, writing mechanics, and vocabulary, writing, grammar, and spelling; and
Reflect the individual's present level of functioning in the areas of intelligence and processing skills.
The assessment must provide data that support the requests for any academic adjustment. In the event that a student requests an academic adjustment or accommodation that is not supported by the data in the assessment, or if the initial verification is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability, then it is incumbent on the student to obtain supplemental testing to determine eligibility at the student’s expense.